They say catchy titles will draw people to read your post. Did it work?

Can I be honest? I see some truth in the title.

“Give us our daily bread” Honestly, I look for that in my paycheck that comes faithfully twice a month.

“Your will be done” is great as long as it can be accomplished on the weekends and preferably not during football season.

When a crisis hits, the need for Jesus shines brightly. As a Chaplain I am in awe when I bring the power of the Gospel into a situation. I am always amazed and humbled when God moves me out of the way and touches hearts. Then, I go home where I have a good marriage and, while my kids frustrate me from time to time, they have normal middle class American problems.

Jesus teaches his disciples to pray for God’s will to be done. On the night he was handed over to be crucified he has a desperate time of prayer and says “not my will but your will be done.”

Wow! Jesus lives out the very thing he taught. I am convicted.

If you can relate to me, I challenge you as I challenge myself to re-engage our world. I don’t believe we have to wait for a crisis. We just need to allow ourselves to be uncomfortable.

My conviction was helped by a NPR story on my drive home. The reporter was being honest that the stories of Jesus seemed distant but a priest who stood up for the poor and was killed for his stand made the stories of Jesus real. No, I do not want us go out and get shot. However, when we engage our world, we bring hope and make Jesus real in lives of the people around us. Then, we have the privilege of watching our Savior change lives.

After listening to the story I went into the store to pick up a couple of items. As I looked around, the Holy Spirit pointed out that each person I saw had a story and God loved them. It was an invitation to join him as he looks for his “will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

This is my final devotional in this series. It has been based on how Coach Wooden, the legendary basketball coach for UCLA, would begin his first practice. He started off each season by teaching his team how to wear their socks. He believed the basics are what wins the game.

What are the Christian’s socks? What are the basics we have to remember to be effective? I believe there are three; faith, hope and love. Today I want to focus on love.

Love is the most overused word in our vocabulary. Everyone has their idea of what love means. I think there are two distinctive for the unconditional love we need as socks.

First, it must come from a place of strength. John 10:18 is a uniquely powerful verse. Jesus says he has the authority to lay his life down and pick it back up. In other words, he was the only one who could die sacrificially in place of humanity. This is critical to understand. There are a lot of people who would die for another person. While that is admirable, it does not have the same power as what Jesus did. When Jesus laid down his life, reality was fundamentally changed. Our relationship with God was fully and completely restored. God did this out of the purest form of unconditional love. There were no strings attached and no other agenda except love.

As Christians we tap into that love. This is why Jesus says the two greatest commandments are to love God and love others. It is only in my relationship with God I have the understanding to unconditionally love anyone else.

As a pastor and a Chaplain I have often seen people who love from a place of weakness. They do things because they need to feel accepted, they want to portray an image or they want to cover up an area of their life. The majority of the time they are not doing it with evil intent. They are doing it because they are longing for love. They will join churches and even go into ministry all with the hope of being good enough or accomplishing something significantly enough that will let them feel loved. Sadly they are missing the true depth of Christian love. They are missing their socks.

God’s unconditional love comes from a genuine place of strength. When I accept this type of love, it transforms me. I rely on God to show others love. In other words I operate from God’s strength. Will there be sacrifice? Of course but it comes from pure motives and a right perspective. It is truly powerful and transformational.

This is a deep concept so I encourage you to meditate on it and talk to God about it. Once it clicks, I promise you will be amazed and in awe of God.

The second aspect of unconditional love is boundaries. Healthy relationships have boundaries. The very concept of love implies a relationship so it makes sense there would be boundaries. A great example is the marriage relationship. If I say I love my wife but hurt her or cheat on her you could legitimately question my love. Because God has invited us to freely choose to enter a relationship with him, it is reasonable that we would live within the boundaries of that relationship.

We need three things to know God’s boundaries. First, we have to have an active prayer life in which we are not just asking God to do things for us but we are slowing down to listen for God’s voice. Second, we have to read the Bible. This is the sacred text of Christianity. We believe it is inspired by God and unique in both it’s power and authority. Finally, we have to be connected to a healthy church. In a healthy church we can have good relationships to keep us grounded and help us grow and mature. I know I often sound like a broken record when it comes to the importance of being connected to a church but I see the difference in lives of people who are connected and those who aren’t.

So do you have your socks on? I hope this series has given you something to consider. Let’s make sure we have our socks on and let’s get into the game.

In my last post I shared about how Coach Wooden, the legendary basketball coach for UCLA, would begin his first practice. He started off each season by teaching his team how to wear their socks stressing the importance of protecting their feet. Getting a blister on your foot makes you ineffective on the court. Bottom line remembering the basics helps you win the game.

What are the Christian’s socks? What are the basics we have to remember to be effective? I believe there are three; faith, hope and love. Today I want to focus on hope.

Hope is a well-grounded confidence that allows us to face reality. Let that sink in.

The two most common verses I use as a Chaplain are Romans 5:3-5 and James 1:2-4. Both of these passages talk about what can happen during hard times. In Romans “we rejoice in our suffering” because we will gain perseverance, our character will be revealed and we will see where we have placed our hope. James wants us to “consider it pure joy when we face trials” because the end result will be full and complete maturity.

Two people can go through the exact same circumstance. One person comes out stronger and one person comes out weaker. What was the difference? I believe it is often perspective and choice. We have to choose to become stronger and we need the right perspective to overcome our circumstances.

For Christians I believe life is a win-win situation. When we don’t have bad things happen, it is a win. When we do have bad things happen, it is also a win because we can grow and become stronger as a result of those difficult times. There is a practical truth to this. When we look back on what helped us become a better person, many times it was a difficult circumstance. There is also a profound spiritual truth to this.

As Paul mentions in Romans, our hope comes alive in suffering. If we truly believe that Jesus overcame both sin and death and one day will return, everything we are experiencing here is temporary. This does not mean I want to go through hard times. It does mean when I go through them I can have confidence this is not the end of the story. I have hope.

This hope actually allows me to face the situation for what it is. I am so thankful Jesus cried at Lazarus’ tomb in John 11. Why? Jesus knew he was going to raise him from the dead. He knew this was not the end of the story. He also knew people were hurting. They loved Lazarus and watching him die was hard and painful. He was able to connect with them and share in their sorrow. He faced reality but was not overwhelmed by the situation. He had confidence in the rest of the story.

When my socks of hope are on, I face reality with confidence. If there is injustice I can stand against it and call it injustice. Why? Because I know Jesus will one day return and make the final judgment. If I have sin in my life I can deal with it effectively. Why? Because I know Jesus died for my sins and conquered sin therefore I can overcome this area of sin in my life. When I see suffering or death I can cry and mourn with those who are mourning. Why? Because this life can be hard however I will not be overwhelmed by grief and sorrow because I know the rest of the story.

Christian hope is not simply being optimistic. It is grounded in the reality of who God is and what Jesus has done. When we let this reality settle all the way down into our socks, we have a profound hope that anchors us. We face reality boldly and we impact our world radically.

Is there something you need to face? Is there a situation you are avoiding or minimizing because your socks of hope have holes in them or haven’t been put on properly? This is when a mentor is really helpful. Talk with someone you respect who has hope in spite of difficult circumstances. They will give you wisdom and insight that will inspire you. You will need to be in prayer and take the time to really learn what the Bible has to say. God will lead and guide. The result will be a confidence to look at reality and see…hope.

Welcome to the human race! How do you know you are a human? Do you say, “I don’t care what other people think” but secretly do? Do you feel like everyone else in the group “clicks” except you? Do you have something you are ashamed or embarrassed about? Do you feel you have to live up to an image instead of just being yourself?

I most likely hit the mark with one of those questions proving you are human. What a relief! We can all say “I am screwed up just like everyone else!”

I think the Apostle Paul nailed it (of course with God’s help).

He wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15-16:

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”

Paul thought he was the worst sinner out there. That is a very honest assessment. Each one of us could say the same thing and believe it. I often say the only reason Paul wrote he was the worst sinner is I wasn’t born yet. We truly know just how bad we can be. We are there for every single sin we commit. We also know our thoughts and intentions. We know what we are thinking and to be honest we can think about some pretty bad stuff.

Bottom line: Paul was human

His realistic perspective gives us hope. If he can be redeemed. If he can have a right relationship with God. Then, we can be redeemed and have a right relationship with God. This is critical because one of the most common misperceptions I hear is “I have blown it so bad there is no hope for me.” Paul reminds us there is always hope.

There is another amazing reality in this passage. Paul does not list a whole bunch of things he has to do. Instead he points to God’s mercy and Jesus’… patience.

You have to let that sink in. God’s response to us being human is to give mercy and be patient.

No wonder the very next thing Paul writes is:

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Verse 17)

He had a moment of worship. I am also humbled by the reality of these verses. In our culture (the United States) we tend to focus on things we have to do or labels we can give.

Philip Yancey wrote a book called “What’s so Amazing about Grace.” He shared a story in which a person is challenged to describe the gospel in a sentence. I have modified the language but basically he said: “We are all screw-ups but God loves us anyway.”

Where are you today? Have you bought into a lie that you are so screwed up you can not be redeemed? Paul would disagree. Do you believe you are redeemed but now are working so hard to maintain your relationship with God you have no joy or peace? Paul would invite you to accept God’s mercy and be thankful for Jesus’ patience.

I love the picture of Jesus smiling and telling his Dad just how much he loves us as he shakes his head, takes a deep breath and is…patient.

How would you paint a picture of yourself that could be understood across time and not be limited to one culture? What if it was critical for people to know who you are because…well you are God?

You would have to start with an anchor. You created the universe. You are sooo big that you cannot be confined and put into a box. However, you need to set some boundaries and create a shared understanding. So you begin with stories handed down generation to generation until they can be written down. Then, after you accomplished the greatest feat in human history by conquering sin and death through Jesus’ death and resurrection, you close out the written revelation and entrust it to your followers.

You don’t just let your followers fend for themselves. You give them your Spirit to lead and guide them. You also established the Church. The Church is global and has a diversity in understanding who you are to avoid people making you look like them and limiting yourself to one culture and one group of people. You can do this because you have provided an anchor…the Bible. In the midst of the diversity some core themes and understandings come to light. You are good. Jesus is amazing and the importance of his work is validated. Love, hope and grace come to life. Righteousness and justice take their proper place calling us to live for something bigger than ourselves. You make yourself known to each generation. They are able to draw upon your timeless truths. Your followers are able to make an impact in their communities and around the world.

It is an incredible balance. If we leave the boundaries of the Bible we miss the mark. If we try to limit God to just words on a page we also miss the mark.

It is amazing. People a thousand years ago could know and follow God and if Jesus does not return for another thousand years people in the future will also be able to know and follow God.

Let’s make sure we are reading our Bibles with a focus on understanding it. Let’s not do it alone. We need to have conversations. First with God and then with one another to keep us balanced and focused on who God truly is. Then, we will know God and be able to make an impact in our communities and around the world. I have to say God is brilliant.

With all the discussion about faith in culture, we need to pause and make sure we are answering the right question.

It is not “How should Christians respond to [insert social issue]?” That answer is well documented on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. Thanks to Google I can get over a hundred thousand “answers” (one topic gave me 1.2 million).

As I look across the last 2,000 years I notice cultures and social issues change. The one question that stays the same is: “Who do you say I am?”

Matthew (16:13-28), Mark (8:27-38) and Luke (9:18-27) all share the same story. First, Jesus asks his disciples who do people say he is and they give a variety of answers. Then, he asks who they think he is and Peter is given credit for getting it right calling him the Messiah (the Saviour promised by God). After Peter’s declaration Jesus talks about his death and resurrection. This alarms Peter. He got it right earlier but now tries to reason with Jesus and clearly gets it wrong. Jesus ends by telling them what it means to be his disciple and it will not be easy.

This captures a dynamic I see today. First, there are many opinions about who Jesus is. Christians believe he is our Saviour. We understand Jesus’ death and resurrection is central to our salvation and enables us to have a personal relationship with God. However, Christians can get off track and unintentionally minimize the significance of the cross and empty tomb. Hopefully we are in a place to hear Jesus, refocus on following him and accept it will not be easy.

My challenge for those who are Christians is to get Jesus back into the discussion. Not about what Jesus would say about [insert social issue] but about the importance of his death and resurrection. Social issues will come and go. We know the Church will be around until Jesus returns. Let’s sharpen our focus and have a serious conversation about who Jesus is. Everything flows out of our relationship with him.

For those who are not Christians, I invite you to seriously look at this person in history. Who do you say Jesus is? I invite you to consider he is who he claimed to be. I understand the Church can get off track because we are imperfect people. Thankfully we have a gracious God. How do I know God is gracious? His willingness to die for us (the cross). Why should we care? His power and authority (the empty tomb).

Do you ever feel like everyone has something to say but no one is really listening? We can have a hard time listening especially if we are talking to someone with a different point of view. I am guilty of formulating my response and just waiting for them to catch their breath so I can start talking instead of really listening and trying to understand them. Of course social media does not help. Just as you are scrolling down the news feed or tweets you get the little icon that tells you there are new stories and new tweets.

We keep talking but are we slowing down to listen? This weekend we will celebrate Easter. This is the central story of the Christian message. There will be lots of tweets and posts. There will be stories on the news and shows that will put their spin on the story of Jesus. Some of us will go to church and participate in special worship services. We will eat lots of chocolate (hopefully) and then Monday will come and we will be back to our normal routine. In all the busyness what will we hear?

In Matthew 13:15 Jesus quotes the Prophet Isaiah right before he explains a parable he told in verses 3-9. He says, “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (NIV)

Easter is the most incredible event in human history. We believe God came and walked with us. In order to have a right relationship with us, God took our punishment upon himself. He died for us demonstrating how much he loved us. He rose from the dead demonstrating his power over sin and death. He did all the work and asks for us to put our faith in him.

It is a simple but profound message.

My prayer is that we will take time to truly listen to the story of Easter. We may have to be honest about areas of our heart that have become calloused. Do we have areas of our lives where we have stopped listening to God? Have we closed our eyes to things that we need to look at? As we soften our hearts, open our ears and eyes we will receive the healing that comes from the power of who Jesus is and what he did.

If you need a starting point read the parable Jesus shares in Matthew 13:3-9. He explains it in verses 18-23. Pray and ask God to reveal the condition of your heart. I have a chapter dedicated to this in the Discipleship Curriculum I have on my Discipleship/Mentoring page.

This devotional is as much for me as it is for you. We all need to be mindful and slow down to listen. I hope you have a great Easter and we are refreshed and healed as we listen. He is Risen!